Issue23 / How I Became An Ubuntu User

About 6 years ago, I tried to install Fedora (FC 3) on my desktop, because I needed to run a simple Web server for a school experiment. Since it was my first experience with Linux, I got confused and didn't have the courage to get in depth with the setup.

At that time I thought the information was scarce (information probably was accessible, but I didn't find it). Therefore, I decided to install Windows, and run XAMPP instead to solve my problem.

At my university, I was handed a CD with Ubuntu 5.04 by one of my teachers. That was my first experience with the Ubuntu distribution. We (my friends and I) began by installing Ubuntu on one of the school desktops, to see how it worked.

Since we hadn't had much experience with the use of the terminal and the setup of a Web server, we used the machine only as a Web surfer. I liked the look and feel of the desktop right away, and the fact that there were new versions every six months.

I also experienced that if I needed help, there was a community ready to answer my questions.

When I first saw the wubi installer, I had to try it. At first I experienced some crashes in the GUI (or x-server), and the wireless network had some difficulties connecting and staying connected.

When the next release came out, all these problems were solved, and the wubi is running smoothly and stable. Wubi is now a permanent part of my desktop machine.

I have borrowed a laptop from my work that is running Intrepid Ibex (clean install on hard drive). I have, so far, been pleased with the laptop installation, which I use for office work, Web surfing, email, and learning about the terminal. The best part is, if I need a program, I just go get it, and it works right away.

In the future, I'll still be learning more about the Linux world and Ubuntu. I will encourage others to try Ubuntu, since it's easy to use. The only thing that's keeping me from exclusively running Linux is its inability to run my games.

I know there is a Wine solution to this issue. I have tried to install and run games, but have not succeeded, unfortunately. I won't blame Linux for that, but I hope that it will get better in the future.